On the road in Oregon with the 2010 Cadillac SRX

Earlier this year, Gadling ran a promotion challenging readers to define their perfect road trip. The winner of the competition won a two day road trip of their choice in a brand new Cadillac SRX, with fuel, lodging and airfare all covered. We had a wealth of excellent entries ranging from trips through the Florida Keys to leaf tours through the Northeast to jaunts down the California coast, but our lucky winner chose a long road trip through the great state of Oregon, beginning in the metropolis of Portland then working down the coast to Crater Lake National Park.

Dilligent bloggers as we are, we sent a team to follow in the footprints, documenting the journey and consuming the Oregon asphault in a similar SRX.

What emerged was more than a simple road trip through the Northwest. Two old friends on the hilly backroads of Oregon experienced one of the finest states that America has to offer, a perfect cross section of city, country, desert, forest, good people, better food and a few beers along the way.

A remarkable, moving experience, our journey began in Portland.

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Portland

As luck would have it, we scheduled our road trip over the weekend of October 17th, right as the leaves in the Northwest were starting to turn. Arriving after dark that Friday, we were shocked to wake up and see rolling hills of red and yellow maples. Despite the forecasted rain, breaks in the low, dark grey clouds allowed for seams of sun to peer into the city, contrasting deeply with the darkness above and colors below.

In case you have never been to Portland, let me sum it up for you in a few short words. Super fantastic. The largest city in Oregon, Portland has a huge alternative culture scene, with hundreds of good independent bars and restaurants, free downtown public transportation, plenty of style and good weather and topography to match. Were it not for the annual rainfall, this could be utopia.

Prior to docking into our hotel Friday evening, we stopped by to visit our friends at Voodoo Donuts, the “must-stop” donut shop for anyone who’s visiting the great city of Portland. Waiting with a full box of 12 Voodoo Doughnuts, our friend Dave gave us a few tips for the city and sent us on our way, but not before some new friends from the street enjoyed a few bites from the mix.

To Crater Lake

By way of I-5 it’s about 4 hours to Crater Lake from Portland, and the SRX seamlessly accepted our destination and led us steadfastly south with the onboard GPS. Sooner or later, all eastbound travelers need to cross into the Willamette, Deschutes or Umpqua national forests, so despite our vehicle’s directions we veered off course at Eugene, OR after a trip through the local farmer’s market to stock up on fresh cider and warm, delicious rice and beef.

Into the forest the drive becomes exponentially more interesting. Two lane roads swing around massive mountains ranges, and as the SRX growled past the rivers and the forests we opened up the extended sun roof and let the music consume the valley. Without a destination guide in our hands the winding roads in front of us became a mystery, each turn holding a new outstanding view, small town or landmark that we hadn’t expected to find. Just short of Odell lake, this is how we found Salt Creek Falls, the second highest falls in the state.

Rain came and went as the terrain changed, but once we crossed into the high desert the clouds began to disperse. Our luck wouldn’t hold at high elevation, however, and as we approached Crater Lake National Park the ranger at the front gate warned us that most of the park was under clouds. That didn’t stop us from grabbing a few pictures at the gate and once up top, however. In case you’re wondering, that bottom photo was shot in color.

Through Bend and Back to Portland

With daylight drawing to a close, we decided to drive to Bend for the night. A modest city of 50,000 people, Bend has everything that a hip, Oregon city requires: a thriving nightlife, tons of cafes and restaurants and most importantly: Microbreweries. Our dinner after a long day of driving and socializing was hearty, unique and delicious, and with a good layer of base food in our stomachs a dramatic, if not somewhat strange, night was the perfect way to cap off the day.

The late start Saturday morning barely set us back, and behind the steady wheel of the SRX it was a quick three hour journey back to Portland. In reverse, the hills and colors of the national forest ensconced us, deep green coniferous forests as we passed Mt. Washington, and yellow, yellow, yellow as the maples began their transition.

It was almost a shame reaching Portland again, the rolling hills behind us and a wonderful journey completed.

Our thanks to Cadillac for providing a free Cadillac SRX and fuel for the journey. It’s navigation, satellite radio, perfect handling, and non stop gadgetry left us (two engineers by training) amazed and giddy during the entire drive, and even the officer that pulled us over was impressed by the sharp design. A well done vehicle indeed.

Vote for the winner of Gadling’s Perfect Road Trip contest!

It’s finally here. After hours of careful deliberation, turmoil and drama, the editorial team at Gadling has selected FIVE fantastic candidates to win the Perfect Road Trip Contest.

You’ll recall that together with Cadillac, Gadling is sponsoring the Perfect Road Trip Contest to send one lucky winner (and guest) on a fantastic, all-expense-paid road trip trip of their design — in an all new Cadillac SRX. So the stakes are high and the competition heavy.

But it’s up to you to select the winner.

Take a read through the entries below and vote on your favorite at the bottom of the post. We’ll collect votes until 5PM on Thursday, August 6th, and announce the winner on the following Friday morning.

Entry #1: Key West, Florida — Jon
Three words. Over Seas Highway. Where else can you drive 105 miles of Islands linked together?

A surprise for my wife’s birthday, we would fly to colorful Miami to start our trip. A quick trip over to soak up some sun in South Beach will get us started (windows down, sunroof open, Latin Jazz blaring from the stereo.) Time to head south. Continue reading —>

Entry #2: The American Northwest — Scott
My perfect 2-day road trip:

Fly in to Portland, OR with my wife and daughter and pick up my new SRX. From the airport, stop and get some coffee and bacon donuts at Voodoo Donut in Portland and then drive through wine country in the Yamhill valley and head straight to the coast. We’d play on the beach and enjoy fresh seafood in Newport before heading south along the beach, with me enjoying the curves and AWD while wife and daughter enjoy the comfortable ride and great stereo. Continue reading —>

Entry #3: The American Southwest — Patrick

Timing is everything. It is just possible if we leave on September 10th early from Denver International Airport, headed with a beeline South for New Mexico, to experience the opening night of Fiestas de Santa Fe, complete with the burning of the Zozobra, while also getting a chance to seek out some of the most rare and exciting locales in the US. Let’s get started! I have saved a map on Google so you can follow along on our journey. Continue reading —>

Entry #4: Nashville to New Orleans — JR

This is a Cadillac we’re talking about. An American icon, immortalized in songs like Vince Taylor’s rockabilly classic Brand New Cadillac .

So when my baby drives up in a brand new Cadillac, there is only one perfect drive: Nashville to New Orleans. How Cadillac is that? For any Cadillac, this road trip would be a rite of passage; for a brand-new one like our SRX, it’s a baptism of the highest order. Continue reading —>

Entry #5: San Francisco to the Central Valley — Sylvan

The trip starts in San Francisco. Head over the Golden Gate bridge to get a spectacular view of the Marin headlands. Continue along Hwy 1. As you descend to the coast, the road hugs the the hills and affords a spectacular view of the Pacific. Continue to Point Reyes Station. Cowgirl Creamery is headquartered here, and they run a small cantina. Stop for some of their spectacular Clabbered Cottage Cheese and Red Hawk cheese. There are a couple small bakeries lining the main strip in the town; stop in to grab some scones to accompany your Cowgirl goodies. Continue reading —>

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